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Automation in the foundry and forging industry

An increasingly wide range of products and shorter life cycles: There is increasing focus on the new market requirements for the age of Industrie 4.0 – even in the foundry and forging industry. KUKA offers automation solutions to make your production more flexible, increase efficiency and ensure a safe working environment.

The whole system at a glance with QR codes

KUKA makes your production even smarter: thanks to QR codes individually attached to components and robots, you call up all important information about your components at any time. You can store the data in the Cloud and request it in a targeted manner. This allows you to maintain an overview of the location of use, state and projected wear of all the elements in your system. Using QR codes, you can also react to legal regulations, primarily through the ability to identify and monitor your safety-relevant components. Whether for individual components or your whole system – KUKA is your expert partner for the documentation of your digital processes.

Labeling a KUKA robot using a QR code

Smart foundry production possible by data exchange over OPC UA.

Would you like to benefit from simple data exchange? If desired, KUKA delivers robots and casting machines to you with an integrated OPC UA server. This software interface standard is platform-independent, scalable and Internet-capable. This makes data between all systems available at all times.

Big Data analysis enables effective monitoring of foundry systems

KUKA offers the cloud-based KUKA Connect software platform for digital data acquisition in production. It provides you with an overview of your KUKA robot data as well as access to these at any time or place. Load your data to the Cloud via secure means and create Big-Data analyses in real time – via a configurable interface and without the need of software installation. Using KUKA Connect, you cannot only control the productivity of your robots, but also precisely predict when maintenance will be due.

Always the same speed? Not with KUKA. We adapt the system to your production rhythm. This means that the robot cycle and press cycle in a cell are automatically time-optimized as an overall operation. This way the robot does not always move at the same speed, but rather acts according the production process. This results in shorter waiting times and wear to the machine is also reduced due to the more uniform flow. Furthermore, in the factory of the future, robot and press parameters are handled by a single controller, thus enabling a complete overview of the system data.

Advantages

Transparency with an overview of data

Through KUKA, you gain complete transparency throughout your production process and are able to carry out preventive and predictive measures for system optimization via Big Data analyses.

Greater flexibility

Versatile and flexible production is of paramount importance. KUKA robots and the process know-how of our experts provide you with the ideal production line according to your requirements.

High precision

We master complex manufacturing processes with the utmost precision and accuracy to detail. As a result, we are also in a position to handle challenging materials such as aluminum castings.

Consistent high quality

Through our tailor-made solution, we design a system which delivers a high quality level of reproducibility. Robots, software and presses interlink perfectly.

Everything from a single source: Automation along the entire foundry process chain

The KUKA foundry robot series has been designed for the specific requirements of foundry production. Thanks to heat-resistant robot wrists made of special steel, they also have no problem functioning at extreme temperatures. Beyond this, KUKA also offers you further components for your production line: from the fast trimming press to the cooling basin and onto a fully designed customer-specific cell concept.

Thanks to the perfect interlinking of the casting plants, five robots as well as two coarse deburring presses and two fine deburring presses are sufficient for an optimal production sequence.

Cost-effectiveness and individuality: Automation solutions, including KUKA Service

Together with the KUKA foundry team, you can find the optimal solution concept for your production operations. KUKA is by your side here from the development of your application to programming, commissioning and beyond. Even the designing and testing of your application can be customized through our 3D simulation and lease robots. Following this, we guarantee maximum efficiency and minimal downtimes for your casting plant through standardized employee training, professional maintenance as well as an expert hotline.